KR100779097B1 - Determinating apparatus for location of rfid antenna and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for determining a position of an RFID antenna and a method thereof are provided to enable an RFID service provider to install the antenna for an RFID reader at an optimal position. An apparatus for determining a position of an RFID antenna comprises a probe moving unit(200) and a controller(210). The probe moving unit(200) makes a probe receive electric waves from an RFID tag for each position of the probe while moving the probe move upward or downward in a traverse axis direction, a longitudinal axis direction or a vertical direction. The controller(210) outputs a control signal for determining the position of the probe moving unit(200), and determines the position, whose electric field strength is the largest, as the position of the RFID antenna by measuring and analyzing the field strength of the electric waves for each position received by the probe.

Description

Defining apparatus for location of RFID antenna and method thereof

1A to 1C illustrate an example of a system configuration for improving a recognition rate between a conventional RFID tag and a reader.

2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the RFID antenna positioning device according to the present invention.

Fig. 3 shows a detailed example of a part of the configuration of the RFID antenna positioning device according to the present invention.

4 illustrates an example flow of an RFID antenna positioning method according to the present invention.

<Description of Symbols for Main Parts of Drawings>

100: tag, 110: antenna,

120: gate, 130: electric motor,

140: sensor, 150: pallet,

160: forklift, 170: leader,

180: computer, 190: speed sensor,

200: speed sensor receiver,

305: probe,

310: probe vertical carrier, 315: probe horizontal carrier,

320: rail, 325: transverse axis,

330: longitudinal axis, 340, 350: drive motor.

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to RFID, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for efficiently determining an RFID antenna position in order to install an RFID antenna for reading a signal from an RFID tag at an optimal position.

Application of the present invention, the present invention can be used as a field tester (Field Tester) for the passive RFID real environment application, in particular installed in the portal gate through which the forklift, etc. loaded with various items with the RFID tag RFID tag It can be used as a field tester for passive RFID real-world application to measure the field strength from the RFID reader antenna that reads the information from the antenna.

Conventional antennas for RFID readers have used a method of recognizing a tag attached to an object or a product that emits a signal within a certain range and is located within a 3 dB beamwidth in the radiation power. However, in this case, it is not possible to know the radiation power strength according to the height or angle of the reader antenna and to know where the radiation power is the greatest. There is a problem that is lowered. That is, in the related art, it is difficult to install the reader antenna at an optimal position in a real environment because the recognition of the tag is determined according to the height or angle of the reader antenna.

1A to 1C illustrate an example of a system configuration for improving a recognition rate between a conventional RFID tag and a reader.

As shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C, according to a conventional recognition rate improvement system between a tag and a reader, when the forklift 160 enters a warehouse or the like through the gate 120 to load, the sensor 140 is gated. It is installed at the front and rear of the 120 to detect the position of the forklift 160, the computer 180 will recognize this. As the forklift 160 enters, the directions of the antennas 110 of the reader 170 are controlled to be directed in the moving direction of the forklift 160 by the command of the computer 180. At this time, the movement of the angle and direction of the antenna 110 is executed by a mechanical device such as an electric motor 130 connected and controlled by the computer 180, the speed sensor 190 and the speed attached to the forklift 160 The sensor receiver 200 is configured to recognize the speed and the moving direction of the forklift 160.

In addition, when the forklift 160 moves to pass through the gate 120 again by loading the pallet 150, which is a bundle of goods attached with the tag 100, from the warehouse, the forklift 160 in the antennas 110. By transmitting the appropriate signal according to the direction and angle according to the position information of the) to read the information of the tag 100 moving along the forklift 160 for as long as possible while the forklift 160 moves.

1A-1C, the sensor 140 detects the direction of the forklift, detects the speed by the speed sensor 190, and the current position and the moving speed of the forklift 160 are input to the computer 180. The computer calculates the distance and angle with the antennas 110 through the distance or the moving speed with the forklift 160, and accordingly, the computer commands to control the angle of each antenna 110 installed at the gate.

In addition, the computer detects the position of the forklift 160 as well as the distance to the forklift 160 detected by the sensor 140, thereby controlling the angle of the antenna 110 to read the moving tag 100 most effectively. The output signal can be controlled.

However, according to the conventional recognition rate improvement system between the reader and the tag as described above, the configuration is very complicated because the antenna must be moved automatically as each forklift moves and further, a system for measuring the speed of the forklift is provided. In addition, when the fixed position itself of the RFID reader is wrong, even if the reader is moved from the position there is a problem that the improvement of the recognition rate is insignificant.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in an effort to provide an RFID antenna positioning apparatus and method for installing an RFID antenna at an optimal position to solve the above problems.

An RFID antenna positioning apparatus according to the present invention for solving the above technical problem is a device for determining the position of an RFID antenna for reading information from an RFID tag attached to a moving article, the RFID in accordance with a predetermined control signal A probe moving unit configured to receive the radio wave from the RFID tag for each position of the probe while moving the probe that receives the radio wave from the tag up and down in the horizontal, vertical and vertical directions; And a control unit for outputting a control signal for determining the position of the probe moving unit and measuring and analyzing the electric field strength of the radio wave received by the probe for each position to determine a position having the largest electric field intensity as the position of the RFID antenna. It is characterized by including.

At this time, the probe moving unit, a pair of longitudinal axes which are located in parallel at a predetermined interval; A pair of transverse axes positioned at both ends of the longitudinal axis to fix the longitudinal axis such that the longitudinal axis does not flow; A probe horizontal transporter which horizontally moves on the vertical axis according to a control signal from the controller while supporting the probe and moves the probe in a direction parallel to the horizontal axis if necessary; And a probe vertical carrier for moving the probe in a vertical vertical direction according to a control signal from the controller.

And the probe horizontal carrier,

Longitudinal driving means for moving the probe horizontal conveyer forward and backward in the longitudinal axis direction using a rail formed on the longitudinal axis in accordance with the control signal; And

And transverse driving means for supporting the probe and moving the probe back and forth in a direction parallel to a horizontal axis in the probe horizontal feeder according to the control signal.

The RFID antenna positioning method according to the present invention for solving the other technical problem, in the method for determining the position of the RFID antenna for reading information from the RFID tag attached to the moving article, the predetermined position, the RFID Moving the probe which receives the radio wave from the tag up and down in the horizontal, vertical and vertical directions and receiving the radio wave from the RFID tag; Continuously receiving the radio wave from the RFID tag for each position while moving the probe in a horizontal axis, a vertical axis, and a vertical direction to move to another predetermined position; And determining a position of the RFID antenna having the largest electric field strength from the electric field strengths of the received radio waves.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the RFID antenna positioning device according to the present invention.

This device, which determines the position of an RFID antenna that reads information from an RFID tag attached to a moving article, moves a probe that receives radio waves from the RFID tag up and down in the horizontal, vertical and vertical directions in accordance with a predetermined control signal. While outputting a control signal for determining the position of the probe moving unit 200 and the probe moving unit 200 for receiving the radio wave from the RFID tag for each position of the probe, the electric field strength of the radio wave received by the probe for each position The control unit 210 determines the position of the RFID antenna having the largest electric field strength by measuring and analyzing the same.

3 shows an example of a detailed configuration of the probe moving unit 200 which is a part of the configuration of the RFID antenna positioning apparatus according to the present invention.

A pair of probe moving parts of FIG. 3 includes a pair of longitudinal axes 330 positioned parallel to each other at predetermined intervals, and a pair of vertical axes 330 fixed at both ends of the vertical axis 330 to prevent the vertical axis 330 from flowing. The horizontal axis 325 and the probe 305 while supporting the horizontal movement on the vertical axis 320 in accordance with the control signal from the control unit 210, if necessary to move the probe 305 in a direction parallel to the horizontal axis 325 And a probe vertical carrier 310 that moves the probe 305 in a vertical up and down direction according to a probe horizontal carrier 315 and a control signal from the controller 210.

Longitudinal drive means 340 for moving the probe horizontal feeder 315 forward and backward in the vertical axis 320 direction using the rail 320 formed on the vertical axis 320 in accordance with the control signal in accordance with the control signal And transverse driving means 350 supporting the probe 305 to move the probe 305 back and forth in a direction parallel to the horizontal axis of the probe horizontal carrier 315 according to the control signal.

In other words, the vertical axis 320 has a rail 320 for guiding the probe horizontal carrier 315 to move smoothly. Furthermore, the horizontal axis 325 is equipped with a motor 340 which is a longitudinal driving means for forwarding / reversing the probe horizontal carrier 315 in the longitudinal direction, and transversing the probe 305 in the probe horizontal carrier 315. A motor 340, which is a lateral drive means for moving forward and backward in a direction, is mounted. A motor (not shown in the figure) is mounted to lift and lower the probe 305 in the vertical direction. In this case, not only the probe 305 but also the entire probe vertical carrier 315 may be implemented to be moved up and down in the vertical direction. Such an elevation may be implemented in the same manner as a pole antenna of a vehicle, for example. There may be other commercially available means.

In any case where only the probe 305 or not only the probe 305 but the entire probe vertical carrier 315 is moved up and down in the vertical direction, the gist of the present invention is obviously applied.

Figure 4 illustrates the flow of a method of determining the position of an RFID antenna in accordance with the present invention.

This method of determining the position of an RFID antenna that reads information from an RFID tag attached to a moving article includes moving a probe that receives radio waves from the RFID tag up and down in the horizontal, vertical, and vertical directions to a predetermined position. Receive the radio wave from the RFID tag (step 400), and continuously receive the radio wave from the RFID tag for each position while moving the probe in the horizontal, vertical and vertical directions to move to another predetermined position In operation 420, the position having the largest electric field strength is determined as the position of the RFID antenna from the electric field strengths of the received radio waves (operation 430).

The controller 210 may be implemented using a device such as a computer on which a program for performing the control shown in FIG. 4 is installed.

The control unit 210 sequentially controls the drive motors 340 and 350 in the longitudinal and transverse directions and a motor for lifting and lowering, which is not shown in the drawing, to transfer the probe 305 to detect radio waves radiated from the RFID antenna. Received by the tag attached to 305) and measured and stored the field strength.

In the movement order of the probe 305, for example, the probe is moved by a predetermined interval in the horizontal axis direction, and thus the electric field strength to the right end of the horizontal axis is measured. Then, the probe is moved in the horizontal axis direction again while the probe is moved by the predetermined interval in the longitudinal axis direction. When the electric field strength with respect to the foremost direction in the vertical axis direction is measured in this way, the probe is moved by the predetermined interval in the vertical direction again. In the above it will be repeated the process.

In FIG. 3, the dotted line indicates that the probe 305 is moved to any point in the space under the portal gate where the position of the RFID antenna is determined and the articles including the RFID tag are moved according to the present invention. Showing the status.

And the electric field strength of the radio wave received through the above process is collected by a control computer implementing the control unit 210 by a wired or wireless cable, the control computer control unit 210 for each point of the space thus collected The field strength is analyzed to determine whether the RFID antenna used as the RFID reader is optimally installed.

RFID for RFID readers by measuring the field strength of radio waves continuously radiated as described above while continuously changing the installation position of the RFID reader antenna until the position of the RFID is moved to the position where the intensity of the electric field is greatest. The antenna can be installed at an optimal position.

The RFID tag can be classified into a passive type using the power of the reader and an active type with its own battery. The present invention can be applied to either an active type or a passive type, and is particularly preferably applied to a passive type RFID.

As described above, the apparatus according to the present invention is installed in a portal gate through which a forklift equipped with various items with an RFID tag passes to read RFID tag information at an optimal position according to the actual environment. The field strength from this is measured and, as a result, the optimum position of the RFID antenna for the RFID reader can be determined.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be implemented in a modified form without departing from the essential features of the present invention. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered in descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Examples included in the above description are introduced for the understanding of the present invention, and these examples do not limit the spirit and scope of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various embodiments in accordance with the present invention in addition to the above examples are possible. The scope of the present invention is shown not in the above description but in the claims, and all differences within the scope will be construed as being included in the present invention.

In addition, it can be easily understood by those skilled in the art that each of the above steps according to the present invention can be variously implemented in software or hardware using a general programming technique.

And some steps of the invention may also be embodied as computer readable code on a computer readable recording medium.

According to the present invention, an apparatus for determining the position of an RFID antenna that reads information from an RFID tag attached to a moving article, the probe receiving the radio wave from the RFID tag in accordance with a control signal in the horizontal, vertical and vertical directions Probe moving unit for receiving a radio wave from the RFID tag for each position of the probe while moving to; And a control unit for outputting a control signal for determining the position of the probe moving unit and measuring and analyzing the electric field intensity of the radio wave received by the probe for each position to determine the position having the largest electric field intensity as the position of the RFID antenna. It is possible to automatically measure and collect the electric field strength of radio waves radiated from the antenna for RFID readers at places such as portal gates. This data enables the operator to install the antenna for RFID readers at an optimal position.

Claims (5)

An apparatus for determining the position of an RFID antenna that reads information from an RFID tag attached to a moving article, A probe moving unit configured to receive the radio wave from the RFID tag for each position of the probe while moving the probe that receives the radio wave from the RFID tag up and down in the horizontal, vertical and vertical directions according to a predetermined control signal; And A control unit for outputting a control signal for determining a position of the probe moving unit, and measuring and analyzing electric field strength of radio waves received by the probe for each position to determine a position having the largest electric field strength as the position of the RFID antenna; RFID antenna positioning device characterized in that. The method of claim 1, The probe moving unit, A pair of longitudinal axes positioned parallel to each other at a predetermined interval; A pair of transverse axes positioned at both ends of the longitudinal axis to fix the longitudinal axis such that the longitudinal axis does not flow; A probe horizontal transporter which horizontally moves on the vertical axis according to a control signal from the controller while supporting the probe and moves the probe in a direction parallel to the horizontal axis if necessary; And And a probe vertical carrier for moving the probe vertically and vertically according to a control signal from the controller. The method of claim 2, The probe horizontal carrier, Longitudinal driving means for moving the probe horizontal conveyer forward and backward in the longitudinal axis direction using a rail formed on the longitudinal axis in accordance with the control signal; And And a transverse driving means for supporting the probe and moving the probe back and forth in a direction parallel to a transverse axis in the probe horizontal conveyer in accordance with the control signal. The method of claim 1, And the RFID tag is passive. A method of determining the position of an RFID antenna that reads information from an RFID tag attached to a moving article, Moving a probe that receives radio waves from the RFID tag to a predetermined position up and down in the horizontal, vertical and vertical directions and receiving the radio wave from the RFID tag; Continuously receiving the radio wave from the RFID tag for each position while moving the probe in a horizontal axis, a vertical axis, and a vertical direction to move to another predetermined position; And Determining the position of the RFID antenna having the largest electric field strength from the electric field strengths of the received radio waves.

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